238 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



and language of a plagiary, and evidently of one who knew no- 

 thing- of the sport, it is only justice to treat such erroneous 

 impressions with merited indifference, more especially when we 

 find the whole space devoted to wild-fowl shooting, by the author 

 of the " Shooter's Guide," occupies but one page (small octavo) of 

 letter-press. 



Another author, equally ignorant of the subject upon which he 

 treats, makes the following simple allusion to two of the species 

 of wild-fowl which afford sportsmen, annually, endless diversion : 

 " Widgeon and teal are found in the marshes. The former is nearly 

 as large as a duck, the latter much smaller; both resemble the 

 duck in form and manners." And that is every word said about 

 them ! Whilst as much, or more, is known by every schoolboy, 

 though he may never have been beyond the sound of Bow 

 Church-bells : and yet the work from which the latter extract is 

 taken, bears the specious title " Needham's Complete Sportsman: 1 ' 

 A.D. 1809. 



The time of the departure of wild-ducks from the north, is about 

 the middle of October, and continues during a part of the following 

 month ; when the immense teams of ducks which migrate during 

 that season, passing across the sea and over land, are most attractive 

 and remarkable. 



They are supposed to start on their extensive and distant migrations 

 at the customary hour of evening flight (sunset), and to continue their 

 aerial course throughout the greater part of the night, and sometimes 

 during the next day. In the same manner they return in spring to 

 their old quarters. 



The habits of wild-ducks indicate a preference for lee shores. They 

 feed no farther from the land than necessary, so that they can reach 

 the bottom with their bills without sinking their bodies, frequently 

 turning themselves up endways in the same manner as tame-ducks, 

 when the water is a little too deep to enable them to reach the bottom 

 in a sitting posture; their tails only, thus sticking up above the 

 surface, whilst they are busy with their heads and necks dabbling in 

 the mud or weeds at the bottom. 



In spring, when wild-ducks are seen in pairs, they sometimes dive 

 for their food after the manner of dun-birds and shovellers ; but their 

 exits from the surface are of much shorter duration than those of the 

 other species alluded to. As it is only at that season of the year 

 that wild-ducks ever feed by diving, it may be inferred that the 



